Hi, Brenda, Great to hear from you again. I thought what you are saying was the case, and look forward to discussing my own data with you again soon. (Didn't I send you the tax lists from Bedford and Botetourt a few months ago?) Do you have the info that was in the shoebox on Thomas Markham's heirs? Which Thomas was it? (my John's brother?) (I think I copied the marriage record of Thomas and Penelope) If so, could you get it to me? I'd appreciate it. I've spent weeks researching in that courthouse, and for years all those precious records were in paper file boxes in an attic with no fire or insect protection whatsoever. Last time I was there, there was much better security, but i'm not surprised that records have been lost or misfiled. There is an index to wills which lists one of my other ancestor's will as the first will in a particular year, but the first page of the book has been ripped off and lost - talk about tantalizing and frustrating. Anyway, good to hear from you, Brenda. As usual, you make a lot of sense. I'm new to the internet arena, and it's interesting, but there seems to be so much unsupported data. I look forward to trading info with you, and thanks for the prompt reply. Take care, karen -----Original Message----- From: BMarble@aol.com <BMarble@aol.com> To: MARKHAM-L@rootsweb.com <MARKHAM-L@rootsweb.com> Date: Friday, December 15, 2000 2:45 PM Subject: Re: [MARKHAM] Don't panic >Karen, >The earlier lines of Arthur Markham are not clear, and as of yet, no one has >been able positiviely identify these early relationships. Many records were >destroyed during the Civil War, along with records which may validate the >claims of William & Fonda Markham. So it here that you meet with many, many >cousins at the same brick wall, all working together to remove it brick by >brick. I don't know if we'll ever be able to prove anything and there are >many more Markham's than those you mentioned that may fall within this same >family, but proof has not been found. >As for the Bedford/Botetourt Markhams, most of the lines that come from this >area, have been proven back to Arthur Markham who is found in Bedford County >in the early 1800's. Some of John of Botetourt's children are still sketchy, >but evidence strongly points his way. A few years ago, Melvin Markham >uncovered a probate record listing the heirs of Thomas Markham & Penelope >(Wilkerson) Markham which gave documentation of their descendants. This >record was found in a shoebox at the Botetourt Courthouse, unfiled. How many >more Markham records may lie in these unfiled boxes throughout the country, >we don't know (perhaps a probate record for John listing his heirs) but >hopefully someday, these records will all be filed and become accessible to >us researchers. Hopefully, time and patience will remain on our side and >these shoeboxes will someday take us a step further in not only identifying >the children of John Markham but providing some evidence on his father Arthur >and his forefathers. >I know from working at in my local Historical Archives that there are many >unpublished records that line their shelves and I would guess that it is this >way throughout the country. I think it is these unpublished records where the >next key to unolck the Arthur Markham mysteries may be found. The published >ones seem to have been throughly searched. Keep your fingers crossed. >Brenda Marble > > >==== MARKHAM Mailing List ==== >To access the Rootsweb list of archives for all surnames >Use this URL: http://searches.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/listsearch.pl > >